The Paleo Indians are known as the first humans to inhibit Florida after the last glacier period which occurred over 14,000 years ago. It is believed during the Wisconsin Glaciation Era the Paleo Indians migrated to North America from Siberia, Europe and Asia by way of the Bering Land Bridge or known as the Bering Strait which is located in present day Alaska.
An early archaeologist by the name of Clarence Moore first started his interest in archaeology evacuations on or around 1845. He actually began his research of the St. Johns River on 1-16-1895 through 6-16-1895 primarily on the shores of the St. Johns River and his credited for writing "Certain River Mounds of Duval County, Florida".
The Johnson Mound was 7’4" height and 65 feet in diameter, which was located ½ mile to the north from St. Charles Creek, a stream emptying into the St. Johns River just east of New Berlin.
They were able to record a skeleton in anatomical order, 3-4 sherds (pottery) with and without design, 3 arrowheads, one bit of mica, a small celt, conch shell, mussel shells used as a knife, several pebbles, and a tubular bead of copper. The 5" piece of copper appears to be an ornament which lay next to human bones. It was concluded that the Johnson Mound did not reveal any contact with white people.
The Shield Mound was located near "New Castle" and also described as a mound near Mill Cove which was 150 yards from the river’s bank. He was able to record approximately 150 human remains some of which were denude of the flesh.
The sherds were decorated with a design, 9 earthenware vessels shaped like a bird, a toy vessel, 2 tobacco pipes, 12 polished hatchets, a celt, a chisel made of clay, 114 arrowheads and lance points, tubes of natural formation, double bladed axe, boat shaped pendant, lower jaw of a bear, and turkey leg and spur.
The sherds were decorated with a design, 9 earthenware vessels shaped like a bird, a toy vessel, 2 tobacco pipes, 12 polished hatchets, a celt, a chisel made of clay, 114 arrowheads and lance points, tubes of natural formation, double bladed axe, boat shaped pendant, lower jaw of a bear, and turkey leg and spur.
The Broward Mound is located ¼ mile northwest of Cedar Creek Landing which was 8" tall and 60 feet in diameter. With the permission from Napoleon Broward, Jr., Esquire’s this mound was demolished for artifacts. During this evacuation human remains in 12 separate areas, 4 isolated skulls, femur bones, tibia bones, a single humerus, a pelvis, and a single vertebra. A few sherds were found, 5 polished hatchets, 1 arrowhead, and 1 pebble. The conclusion was there appears to be no evidence to support any contact with whites.
"Certain Sand Mounds of the St. Johns River, Florida by Clarence B. Moore"As to copper from the mounds of the St. Johns River, Florida" . Written 1894
The copper found along the St. Johns River may have been derived from different locations such as Mexico, New Mexico or Arizona, a probability from Cuba; but with the entire group of artifacts, it is most likely the origin is from the Lake Superior region.
At the age of 40, Clarence B. Moore started his amateur archaeology expeditions on board of his steam powered paddle boat named "Gopher".
